The Lost and the Cursed
by Wildfire Fenrir
Summary: Several months after the Vale Crisis, the teams find themselves going about their normal routines again. Everyone is going about their business as usual...until Beacon gets the opportunity to send teams to Alistier. The city needed help with reconstruction after all. However, what started as a simple exchange program may have more in store... Sequel to Thirteen
1. Prologue: Remember the Past

Intro Notes:

Hello and welcome to _The Lost and the Cursed_. I sat on the fence about this plan for a while now. In truth, I finished writing _Thirteen_ a while ago, but only decided to actually complete it here recently. I...I wasn't sure if I wanted to go on. To write a "sequel" or a "spinoff." _Thirteen_ had been finished, and it's story had come to a close. But at the same time...I think a part of me wanted to continue it. To continue building the lore in my interpretation of the universe of RWBY. I'm almost certain I don't want to just let these characters die. In fact, I feel as though I need to expand on them. It sounds kind of trite, but in a sense I feel as though the OCs I've written are...more or less a part of me. Giving them life was something sensational, and I wanted to keep them alive.

Now, for anyone unfamiliar with _Thirteen_ or any of the lore...you could probably still read this and enjoy it for what its worth. I refuse to say it is absolutely mandatory to read _Thirteen, _but I will say it **helps**. Many of the characters, organizations, events, and even how I interpret the tech, are directly linked to _Thirteen_, as you would expect from a sequel. I normally wouldn't advertise my writing, but if you want the full story, check out _Thirteen_ and also take a look at the encyclopedia entries. It helps understand the world I'm writing. For this story, I plan on expanding more on the OCs and original elements. I understand that it sounds like the RWBY cast will be taking a back seat, but they will be playing a pretty important part. It wouldn't be a fanfic if they weren't included would it?

Furthermore...I'm going to straight up say it. From what I have written so far and what I've planned out in my head, this story is going to be a lot darker. It's not going to turn corny grim-dark like Warhammer 40,000, or just have the occasional sob-story. I'll be trying to touch on serious problems in society and or life. As with my last story, which was practice for writing characters and making a good action/adventure plot, consider this story to be practice for drama. Hopefully it goes well.

Obviously, since this is fanfiction, nothing is canon. There will be OCs, there will be original ideas, and there -may- be characters acting out of character. As much as I want to try and follow how RoosterTeeth writes them, there will be times where I will interpret their character differently.

List of warnings: Blood (there will be blood, but not gore,) general violence, alcohol consumption, cursing, and more mature themes.

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY and the like, but I'd like to claim ownership of original ideas and properties.

XxXxXxXxX

**Prologue: Remember The Past**

XxXxXxXxX

Several Years Ago...

_Terra Lysander finished typing in the last bit of code. Her hands sped across the keyboard, inputting as fast as she could. The rapid tapping rang through the empty control room. It was really late and most of the company had already left, and she stayed behind to try and finish it. The Core. Terrus Magnus was finishing up the plans for one massive thing, and they had given her team the task of writing the code for it. It sounded easy at first, a simple activation and deactivation program that triggered something. But then it got more complicated...in fact, it got more dangerous. When they finished the prototype code, she realized that a small bug in the code could potentially cause the Core to go wrong. It was troublesome, really._

_There was another reason she stayed behind. It was not because she was a hard worker and she wanted to be paid overtime. No...she realized what the core was for. She had dug around and pulled in some favors to find out what the core was for: a powerful reactor. It was a unit that did not rely heavily on dust, but something else... Terra hesitated to call it magical, considering that dust itself was already really magical. It used something else, and it was rumored to have been able to make untold amounts of energy. Rumors had also arisen that the test grounds for the company had been rocked with earthquakes and explosions. Some of her colleagues said that it generated huge amounts of heat, but before she could dig further they had disappeared. The last person she talked to before he disappeared reported that the device was way too dangerous for use, as it might overload and wipe out a city if it was on a big scale. Terra decided to split the core in half. One piece with half the code, the other piece with the other half. Without telling anyone, she had modified the production of the core to be able to be split in half. It was tricky, but she made it hard to even notice the core was even able to be split. _

_She finished the code and finalized it. Terra booted up the core for testing, smoothing out all the bugs. She was almost done...all she had to do was package it and then delete most of the backups. She couldn't let the company mass produce it, not when it was so dangerous. Terra finished everything up and yawned slightly. The backups were deleted and moved into a movable drive. The core was completed. All she had to do was get the backups far far away. She got up when suddenly some muscular arms wrapped around her._

_"Aww, Terra. Working overtime like always?" The gruff man hugged her from behind, scaring the daylights out of her._

_"Geoffrey Markath, what are you doing here still?" She asked, pushing him off slightly. He was dressed in a black security uniform and carried a heavy flashlight._

_"Doing my business, just like you're doing yours. Is that the core?"_

_"Yes. It's finished. The corporate heads can have it now."_

_"Good...hey come with me for a moment. I need your help with something." Geoffrey led Terra down a hallway, essentially dragging her along. He was taking her to one of the less visited employee lounges. She knew the one he was leading her to was out of commission for a bit. The lecherous bastard probably wanted her._

_"Look, Geoffrey, I'm not interested. You just aren't my type." Terra struggled to break free from the grasp. Geoffrey held on tightly though, not letting her run away. Geoffrey stopped at the door and looked at her. "I mean, really...I told you I wasn't interested earlier! I'll have you reported for harrassment!"_

_"That's not what I'm here for." Geoffrey opened the door and pushed Terra into the dark room. She fell backwards and felt her hand land on something slick. She raised her hand to look at the red stain in surprise. Geoffrey turned on the lights to the lounge room, and Terra finally could make out what it was:_

_Blood._

_All of her team mates...everyone that worked on the core. They were all dead. Murdered, to be precise. Some by poison, some by bullets. They were all piled in the room and scattered about. It was...morbid to say the least. How did no one realize...?_

_"What the hell is this?!" Terra turned and pushed herself away from the mangled mass of bodies. She recognized all her friends, all her connections, everyone connected to the core and the reactor._

_"I'm sorry my dear, I love you and everything but these are my orders. Good night. The company thanks you for your eff-" Terra didn't let him finish. She grabbed a fire extinguisher that was nearby and swung. The extinguisher thunked against Geoffrey's head, causing him to stumble onto the floor. Terra picked herself up and ran back to the control center. She grabbed the spare drive and the core from her control desk. Terra turned the corner and heard a gunshot. The bullet missed, but hit the door frame she had just came out of. Geoffrey was back with a handgun. "You little broad, I'm going to -kill- you!" He fired again, causing Terra to jump. She sprinted as fast as she could out of there, moving to get out of the tower. Before she could get to the corner though, she felt something hard impact with her back. She fell forward and crashed into a potted plant, rolling onto her back in pain. Geoffrey slowly walked over and stared into her eyes. He lifted the pistol and finished the job._

_He picked up the core and the backup drive, and pulled out his phone, "It's done. I have the core and the blueprints. Moving to extraction." A security officer ran into the hall to investigate the gunshots, but Geoffrey silenced him with a single round to the throat. He rode the elevator to the roof and watched the drop ship arrive. The door slid open and he tossed the bag with everything into the back. A black suited man pulled him on board, and Geoffrey sat across of him. He took the video phone from the man across of him._

_"Agent Markath, excellent work. Your efforts have helped us proceed with our plans. We are relocating you from the company to Alistier, where you will oversee the project's construction." The faceless man told him. The man was using a voice modulator to hide his true voice, and he could not make out any of the features outside of a pinstripe suit. "Your efforts will lead Exodus to glory in Alistier. We will continue to monitor your efforts to complete the project. And we look forward to further good news." Agent Markath leaned back in his seat after signing off. He scanned through the blueprints and what they called the Vulcan Project. This shall be a relaxing few years. Perhaps Junior could get him the things he needed to build it. Steal some funds and materials away from the project Faustus. Yes...that would be a good move. Let Junior build up his contacts here...perhaps one day he'll be even more useful._

XxXxXxX

"Alright, FOB set up. Spread out around Block Two and search for survivors." The convoy leader called out to the rest of the STALKERS and Hunters. They all hopped off the back of the trucks, pulling their gear out. Several of them were carrying scavenging supplies as well as emergency rescue supplies. Welkin hopped off the back of the deuce and a half, carrying heavy gear to pull people out of the ruins. He followed a gruff older soldier as they split off into pairs of twos. The entire platoon of volunteer hunters and STALKERS split up into different teams. The need for scavenging any supplies from the blocks led to a rise in the number of STALKERS, or people who would crawl around the ruins looking for anything good. Survivors would hire these people to go and find or recover lost heirlooms. In this case, they banded together with a band of hunters to try and find people (or loot, whatever came first.) Welkin grinned, today would be a good day. Even if they only save a handful of people that managed to survive so long out here, it would be worth it. The older man gestured for him to follow, and Welkin tagged along. They made their way over rubble and ruin, down several streets and alleys. They found the occasional usra, but each one they encountered ran off instead of fighting.

"Kid. You think something is wrong?" The old bearded man puffed his cigar as he pulled out his uchigatana. Welkin's partner was a big guy who had started leading the normally disorganized STALKERS.

"Yeah. Ursa normally fight. Why are they running?" Welkin voiced his concerns as he clicked the safety of the shotgun off. "Unless they're regrouping with a pack. But if that was the case we would have heard it by now."

"Yeah...good. Surprised you know so much without going to Canthas. Or whatever that school to the south was." The older man scratched his beard and gestured to keep moving.

"Things happened Bill, that's all I can say." Bill grunted and the two continued to move forward. He heard some scrambling and something collapse near them. "Move it kid!" The pair shuffled through the ruins at double time, going for a three story building that the sound originated from. Bill took a side and nodded to Welkin, who swat kicked the door open and sent it crashing away. He swept the room as Bill waited for the all clear, or for Welkin to start screaming his head off while being eaten alive. "Bill! Found someone!" The big STALKER pushed in and pulled the door shut behind him to look around. Welkin knelt next to a guy half buried in rubble, trying to stop the bleeding on the man's torso. His breath looked extremely shallow. "Help me shove off that rubble."

"Kid I don't..."

"He needs our help man! I can't just leave him here. Com'on, grab that rock and slide it off." Welkin grabbed the man's arms and readied to pull. Bill sighed and complied, pushing off the fallen stone roofing. Welkin took a step back to pull, but slipped on a rock. He fell backwards with a yelp and crashed into some more rubble, still holding onto the arms. He looked back at the man...except all he was holding onto was the upper torso. The rubble had crushed the man's legs and split him half, the legs trapped under the rubble. The man let out one last cry before he breathed his last. Welkin just stared in horror. He'd seen death, sure, and even come close to it...but seeing a man broken in half...

Bill went over and pulled Welkin up, pushing him along away from the body. "Let's go. There will be others." Welkin stared at the body and Bill shook the courier a bit. "Pinky. We have to go."

"I...I just. A-alright." Welkin stammered and turned to follow Bill out. He took one last look at the bloody mess and followed Bill out. There goes his good mood and hope... They continued down their predetermined path, stopping occasionally to check out some abandoned markets for supplies.

"At least there's a lot of stuff kid. Grab what you can. We need food for the people back at Station." Bill started shoveling food frozen from being exposed to extreme cold into a heavy duty backpack. Welkin went along another aisle, collecting what he could.

"So...Bill...do you see that stuff often?" Welkin called out across the store. The old man grunted in reply, and Welkin took his silence as a sign to keep collecting things.

"We need to be back before dark. No lollygagging." Bill slung the backpack back on and grabbed his sword. Welkin rejoined him, now laden with food supplies. Bill didn't seem like a man of much conversation, so it seemed Welkin wouldn't be able to speak much. They stopped by several other stores, marking locations with things they could use.

On the return trip, they trekked down the main road. Unlike moving out, it would be easier to maneuver in the dark with more space around them. They could see the light of the base coming closer as they walked. The two checked in as soon after entering the base, turning in their supplies at the truck. They were the last to come back, although there were still three or four teams missing. Welkin couldn't help but wonder darkly if it will be his team that disappears next.

XxXxXxX

The next few days went by uneventfully. When they could, they brought in the trucks themselves to larger caches to quickly load up supplies. He was honestly surprised by how many supplies they had managed to recover. Survivors on the other hand...well, there was only so much they could do. Of the thirty people that went, at least eight were unaccounted for, and one was confirmed to have been killed by grimm. Block two was certainly earned its nickname: 'Man Slayer.' They were going to leave that night, after every team came back. Anyone left would just have to deal with it; the entire operation could not wait for eight people to come back. Welkin and Bill made their final trek into the ruins.

"Kid."

"Yeah old man?" Welkin retorted, grinning at the bearded man. Bill McGaharan. That's what his name was. He had earned the right to know a little about the old fart. He was a crabby, quiet old man who used to serve at Fort Xray. He was good at killing grimm. And he didn't like to talk very much.

"Don't call me old."

"Don't call me a kid." Welkin responded as they made their way over some more ruins, occasionally checking the map to see where they were. They were headed to some residential block in a last ditch move to find survivors.

"Alright pinky." Bill smirked. "You asked me a few days back if I had seen things like that before. Dead people." Welkin nodded. "Well of course I see dead people all the time. But don't misunderstand." Bill frowned and pulled out a piece of chewing gum, biting into it. "Just because I have seen people die in front of me does not mean I'm a stone cold bastard. That man you tried pulling out was dead before we could get to him. Even if we tried, there was nothing we could do. So the best we can do is pick up and move on."

"That's so callous." Welkin raised his shotgun when he heard a crunch. A wild dog spotted them and barked at them, before running off.

"It's reality. Pinky, we're trying to rebuild a city. We just don't have the time or energy to try and save every lost cause. We weren't fortunate enough like Vale. Those bastards at Canthas Academy prefer to stick to themselves after all."

"I'm not surprised. I read reports about the rest of the Alistier armed forces pulling out to the base near Canthas."

"Yeah, well, not many of them survived out in the bases. We didn't have much to begin with, considering how similar to a frontier city we are. They did the smart thing and holed up back home. Though...I can't say the same for now." Bill muttered. He leaned out and checked another corner before making the turn. They had reached a snow covered park, and the two of them just stared at how unnervingly quiet the old park was. Then it clicked.

"Wait...I know this place...!" Welkin cocked his shotgun and switched off the safety, running ahead of Bill. Bill followed, yelling for him to stop being an idiot. They ran down a block and some when Welkin stopped at a gated and walled house. Two stories high, small front yard, and very very abandoned. Welkin checked the mailbox address. It was definitely here. He opened the rusty grey mailbox and reached inside, pulling out several old letters and a small box. He opened the frozen box right then and there, with Bill looking on.

"Kid...taking supplies and stuff is fine...but other people's mail?"

"...My sister made it into Dragon team." Welkin read the old letter. It had been mailed here from Canthas Academy, dated the day of Alistier's fall. He flipped through the letter. There was no doubt about it. He picked up the still shiny Canthas badge and monochrome tartan armband, packing it away into his bag. He flipped through some of the other junk and kept a few things, putting the rest away. Welkin tried opening the front gate, but the hinges were too badly damaged and rusted to even give. He kicked it open hard and ran up to the shattered door, slamming it open. Inside, he looked at the mess around the living room. Things were haphazardly scattered and left behind, as if the owners had picked up and left in a hurry. Welkin lifted the shotgun at the movement to his left. A beowolf had been picking at an old frozen corpse, and it turned around when it heard Welkin slam the door open. He put two shotgun shells into its head and bashed it with the shotgun stock, snapping it's neck and sending it flying out the living room window.

"Kid! What the heck are you doing? We're supposed to be hitting commercial places." Bill came running in when he saw the beowolf go flying out the window. Welkin knelt by the corpse. Even if it was shriveled and frozen, let alone mauled, he could tell easily who it was.

"...Dad." He stood up and cocked his shotgun, chambering a new shell. "Bill, sweep that side and I'll meet up on the other side. Then we check upstairs." Bill couldn't believe the kid was giving him orders, but complied because he had no idea what was going on. The two swept the entire first floor, making sure it was clear. Along the way Bill reported that he found the body of an older man, his grandfather, and they made it to the back. Everything was a mess. Grimm had attacked his home like many other homes, and they left blood everywhere in their wake. Welkin and Bill cleared the upstairs as well, finding his mother in the master bedroom behind a broken barricade. She had gone down fighting at least, Welkin noted the bloody cleaver that was frozen in her hands. By the bed lay his little brother. Bill left him alone for the moment, to give the courier some time.

"Damnit." Welkin hung his head sadly. He checked his two sister's room. Empty.

Welkin made his way down stairs to find Bill carrying the two dead men outside to the back yard. He had planted the shovel he carried on his back outside, marking a place to dig. Welkin looked on and then went to collect his mother and brother. He helped Bill dig a grave for them in the backyard, holding a very brief ceremony. Welkin broke off a part of the stone wall in the backyard out, making a rough rectangular piece. He buried the lower half of it into the ground, making it a makeshift grave stone.

"I'm sorry kid."

"Ain't your fault old man...I just...I thought they would have gotten away. I guess I was wrong to hope they did. At least my sisters might be out there." Bill patted Welkin on the shoulder.

"It's never wrong to hope kid. It never is. At least you know what happened to them now. Better knowing the sad news than fretting over the uncertain." Welkin looked at Bill surprised. "What?"

"So you really are going senile on me old man. And here I thought you didn't say much, let alone anything wise." Welkin cracked a joke half heartedly. He turned back and looked at the interior of the ruined house. "Do you mind if I collect some stuff? I should probably pass it on to my sister."

"Not going to collect it for yourself?"

Welkin frowned, "No. We didn't get along all too well." Bill nodded and stood guard at the front as Welkin grabbed all sorts of random things. He cracked open the safe in the master bedroom, collecting any assets he could use. He also pulled out the family heirloom. It was an old...very old sword hilt for a one handed sword with a broken blade. The hilt was ornate, and had a prominent silver wing worked onto it. He grabbed a few more things from around the house, and even cracked open the liquor cabinet his father never opened. Bill walked over and Welkin handed him a bottle of finely aged whiskey, one of several bottles his father had inherited from his father. "Thank you."

"Kid. This stuff ain't cheap..."

"Take it. I didn't ask you to help me bury the dead...but you did anyway. And you let me take care of things here. I owe you for it anyway." Bill nodded and accepted the bottle. "I'll have to take this stuff to Canthas one day..." He patted the courier bag.

"Indeed. Are you ready to go?"

Welkin turned as they left the front door. He looked at the ruined house sadly, not really sure what to say. He didn't leave on the best terms. In fact, he was kind of an ass about it. But here and now...they were all dead. He never got a chance to say goodbye to them, or apologize for the mess he created inside the family. He couldn't help but feel regret for not resolving the situation with them. But at the same time...not all was lost. He still had his sisters somewhere in Canthas. At the very least he could get some closure there. He muttered an apology and a prayer that his mother had taught him, hoping to send their souls to whatever god was watching above. Bill and Welkin left the house and continued their mission. They would encounter no resistance, and near the very end of their path they pulled an older gentleman out of the rubble. Welkin laughed grimly as the older gentleman got his bearings from being trapped under rubble for a while.

"You alright kid?" Bill asked as he handed the old man a bottle of water and a protein bar.

"Yeah...I just had a funny thought." Welkin smiled. "There's still hope out there after all."

BIll grinned and pat him on the shoulder. "Of course there is kid. Even if everything is grim, if we didn't have that I don't think any of us would be doing what we do. Let's get moving kid, things to do. Gotta bring him back." The trio gathered their things and made their way back to the base to get ready to leave. Welkin scanned the area around them, making sure to check for any signs of potential ambush. He noticed something zip by in his peripheral vision, and turned to aim his shotgun at it. The figure appeared again in his peripheral vision once more, and he swiveled around a full ninety degrees to look upon their stalker. There was a sudden chill as though the area dropped several degrees. Bill smacked the side of his arm and he snapped his attention back to the two. "Kid, keep up. No time to waste." he lowered his shotgun and turned away. The chill stayed in the air, and the figure stayed in his sight for a bit...but then it receded into nothingness.

XxXxXxX

_Encyclopedia Entry:_

_Alistier, the city of snow. Alistier is comparable to a unusually large frontier city. The main city is a series of nine "blocks" in a square formation. Each block is connected via the city high road, and further connected with a main highway that leads out of the city. A train station and tracks runs parallel to the highway, but split up after a while. The city is called the city of snow because of how freezing cold it is. Each block is an entity of its own, but each featuring something major. For example, block two is a largely residential block, with chain stores dotting it occasionally, whereas block five is mostly commercial with skyscrapers and banks. Each block is comparable to a small town, as they have their own civic leaders that all report to the government block, one. The mayor of Alistier works with each civic leader to establish goals or solve problems within each block._

_Most southerners joke that Alistier is made for people that just have too hot blood for anywhere else. The people of Alistier are a lively sort, and very sociable. They value friendship and honor right up there next to family, and actively work to make even more friends. Some portray Alistierians to be jovial, naive, or straight up stupid, but do not be mistaken. Family and connections are all part of a cunning game people play there. Thinking you have taken advantage of an Alistierian is one big mistake you might regret. They have a solid code of ethics, and are an honorable sort that will sort things out with show of force if diplomacy fails. Breaking promises and lying are some of the worst things you could do ethically in Alistier. Should one venture to Alistier, you should remember that the people like to frequent pubs and bars. That's where society gathers all around and basically has one big social party. Alcohol is frequently consumed, and acts as the social lubricant between them. Remember, when drinking, it's proper to yell Slainte Mhor! as a sign of good meaning._

_Alistier is also known for it's relatively small, but fairly trained army. Military service is not compulsory, but recommended as the military offers to teach a lot of things for free. Usually, the most gifted of these students go off to Canthas Military Academy (to be discussed in another encyclopedia entry.) Alistier also maintains several fire bases on their frontier, armed with the cutting edge of defense technology. _

_Note: Alistier was recently destroyed during a calamity that Vale similarly of the city blocks have been abandoned and left to ruin, and a good number of the original population has been killed. Only blocks seven, eight, and half of nine have been fully restored to "working condition." They are still struggling to recuperate, as the power station in block three and four have been knocked out permanently. _


	2. Part One: New Orders

Intro Notes:

Well, here we are. We begin this adventure now. Let's kick things off with part one of this whole thing. As usual, please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, but I'd like to claim ownership of original ideas and stuff.

XxXxXxX

**Chapter One: To Alistier**

Part One: New Orders

XxXxXxX

Present Day...

Welkin had finished helping out with moving several crates of building supplies. Reconstruction efforts were concentrated around the train station and yard, spreading out into the residential areas nearby. The grid design of his snowy home town certainly made it easier to locate everything. The train station was at block Seven, on the edge of the box wall city. Nine blocks built up the city. He was helping trucks get loaded up to bring supplies to finish reconstruction of several hotels in Block Seven. Several other blocks were also going through rebuilding, but they were a little trickier to get too. Rumors had it, the entirety of row one (blocks one, two, three), and blocks four and five of row two were...under going mysterious things. Welkin was told by a scout that there was something weird going on. The dead were walking...well, their spirits at least. Several teams had gone in to investigate further, but many disappeared. Those that came back were no longer normal, their spirits broken by grief or horror. He wanted to believe they were just rumors. But the truth of the matter was...it looked real enough.

Welkin 'Crasher' Fenrir brushed his hands down on his coat. He wore a light light pink coat, decorated with red and black patches. On his back was a winged cross with symbols, and on his arms were emblems: on the left, the Star of Polaris courier emblem with thirteen stars around it, and on the left a silver and black shield. The shield had a lighthouse on it. He could not believe that Yang had given him a pink coat...but he wore it with pride. After all, his other coat was tattered to an unbelievable degree. He had left it and his original outfit back in Vale with a tailor, hoping they could either reproduce the outfit or repair all the damage. He adjusted the carapace plating on his arms and legs, as well as checked the straps on his carapace plate vest. And finally he adjusted the black and red scarf on his neck. He kept his courier bag slung across his shoulder and checked all his pouches.

"Hey! Pinky! Stop making yourself look more fabulous and get over here!" Welkin groaned at his new nickname. He trudged through the snow to the main office the Star of Polaris survivors were at. He and several other couriers more or less jacked it from the train station, as a 'reward' for helping secure block seven and the station. That was almost two months ago...perhaps even more considering their slow push to try from the town before. "Pinky! Com'on! Step it up a notch!"

"Shaddap with the pinky already." Welkin called back, speeding up into a jog. He entered the office and looked around at the busy courier assistants. They were on overtime, trying to do everything. To call them a courier service was really wrong now, since they took jobs for a lot more things. He sighed, they were no longer just package couriers sadly, they needed to be more flexible to help rebuild the city. "What do you need Lewis?"

"Welks, I need you to check out this location. It's at the very edge to block four and seven. Courier Five is missing." Lewis pointed to an area. Lewis was perhaps the most senior courier to have survived in Alistier. He bore the number one, and had one star under the courier emblem to mark his number. "Think you can handle it thirteen?"

"Yeah. Lemme get my bike and head over there." Welkin turned to leave. He picked up a trench shotgun and some ammunition from the armory desk they were using. He signed a clipboard, noting he took out shotgun number twelve and sixteen shells, and handed it back to their armory officer. He sidestepped a courier rushing in, who turned in a package.

"Hey, thirteen, it's a mess out there, stay warm and frosty got it?" Lewis called out. Welkin waved and tied his black and red scarf around his neck tighter. Stay frosty. Right. It was cold as all hell outside. Then again, it never really got warm in Alistier. The city of perpetual snow is a pretty accurate name, given his experience and life in Alistier. He dodged workers and rushing civilians on the way to the motorpool. "Sally, got my ride?" He walked up to a woman wearing an oil slick engineer piece. She was smeared with engine oil and was working on some motor parts.

"Hey thirteen. Yeah, it's over there. The paint job is done by the way, hope you enjoy it." Welkin grabbed the keys she held out and handed over the fee. "Thanks for the payment."

"And thank you for the help. Alright...let's go." He walked over to the bike in a building converted into a job. Welkin looked at the Frauline's new paint scheme: grey scale urban digital camo with red and silver lining and parts. Welkin climbed on and revved the engine on, maneuvering around the crowded motor pool and out into the crowded streets. He pulled out his phone while waiting for the clearance to go into block four. "Five-Eight, do you copy over? This is Courier Four-Thirteen, do you copy over. I am on my way, give me your location."

A quiet voice replied to him, clearly trying to keep it down, "This is Five-Eight, Four-Thirteen, I hear you. I'm at the massive bank tower. It's hard to miss, probably the tallest building in town. I need help. I have a priority package from a Blackwatch agent. Some people want it, and I'm cornered here."

"Roger, I'm on my way Davis, sit tight. Four-Thirteen out." No one replied, and Welkin ended the call. The worker at the intersection gestured for him to go, and he roared off toward the tower in the distance. Blackwatch huh...man, and he thought he was unlucky with packages.

XxXxXxX

They were coming closer, and he was running out of tricks. His plan to hide out in Alistier's large bank tower had backfired spectacularly, and his enemies had managed to barricade it in. Now here he was on the forty-sixth floor, cornered, exhausted (forty-five flights of stairs suck,) and out of ideas. They were still a few floors away, but he could tell most of them were inside the building searching for him.

Hopefully the traps along the way would slow them down.

He pulled out a piece of paper and started scribbling something down on it, rough and to the point. There was no time for flowery messages, no time for greetings and salutations. No. He finished writing it and slipped it into an envelope, sealing the letter with a quick lick. He pulled out two boxes and cracked one open, revealing the glowing heavy geometric object. He had taken the piece from a special agent, a member of the Blackwatch division. They had stolen the piece from terrorists, and he was hired to get it as far away from Alistier as he could. He snapped the object in two without hesitation, deactivating the object and forming two perfect separate pieces.

He chuckled, realizing they were probably meant to be separated until they were to be used. He separated them and sealed the boxes with heavy tape, addressing one to an ally. He pitched one package into the abandoned district of Alister, and slipped the other one into his bag. He looked out the window to watch the package fly into the condemned zone, and then scanned below. There were no transports outside from what he could see, and thankfully they didn't send many people to kill him. He could see the backup courier had arrived, as he had requested. The motorbike came to a halt near the building. He could see that the courier was wearing some girly white coat.

Suddenly the door burst open with a bang behind him. He grabbed his winter camo coat and pulled it on swiftly, over all the pouches and body armor.

"Alright Courier, I've had enough of your bullshit. Hand over the core! You're cornered and I'd rather avoid killing an honest worker." The lead minion called out. He primed several soda can sized grenades and grinned.

"I don't think so! You don't know what you're doing with this thing."

"We're trying to help Alistier kid. If you know what's good for you, you'd hand it over!"

"I ain't no kid, and you guys can suck a big one. The Project Vulcan should never be completed. We are not gods! We can't control that kind of power! You're going to bathe the city in fire when you complete it! And I for one, will not stand for it. We've barely started rebuilding two months ago, and you're going to throw it all to waste."

"Screw you kid, you don't know jack. Get him boys!" Several minions rushed the man. The young man whipped out the grenades and pitched them toward the charging minions, causing them to stop in horror and fear. "Load of shite! GET BA-"

An explosion rocked the roof and sent the young man flying out the window and down all forty-six floors. He hooked onto the side and slowed his descent significantly, knowing he'd make it by simply sliding down the side of the building carefully. He used some hooks and wires to slow his descent and make his way down carefully. He felt a drop in temperature as he went down. Then he saw it.

A phantom. A ghost, he supposed. He looked up and stared into the ghastly skull, those hollow eyes boring deep into his soul. He froze with fear...and not normal fear. It was...supernatural to say the least. The ghost screamed at him and distracted him long enough to bump into something hard on the way down, sending him pitching downward. He thumped on something and felt a lot break. That had slowed him down enough. He bounced off several more buttresses and hanging stone structures on the side of the skyscraper. Before he knew it, he had landed with a heavy thump on the floor. He was almost certain something impaled him on the way down, as if the bone crunching bumps along the way weren't enough. As he lay dying, he heard a man call out to him from down the way.

"Hey! HEY! Five! What the hell happened?!" The man wearing a white jacket came running over. He caught a glimpse of what the man was wearing. Oh, it wasn't white. It was really light pink, like rose ice. The man was wearing a courier badge like him, and similarly armored. He felt the cold gauntlet grab onto his hand and the man rustling to get some medical supplies.

"It's alright...I'm not long for this world. Here. Take it. Ozpin will know what to do with it." Five groaned and felt his life draining from him. In the distance he could see the shapeless mass of spirits stalking toward them. They were all like the spirit who had screamed at him. Hollow eyed skulls, raggedly clothed...skeletons. Several of them wore garb normal to Alistier. They...they were ghosts. The lost of the city. He just knew it.

"Yo, I can't leave you here to die man!" The courier grabbed Five's bag and pulled out the anonymous box, putting it into his bag. "Com'on Davis, we're going!"

"I'll only slow you down. Go. Come on Welks. Do it for me. Take it to Ozpin and hide it well." Davis grabbed Welkin's gauntleted hand. "And be careful." Welkin heard the thumping of people coming down the stairs of the abandoned tower. They weren't even trying to be quiet, apparently.

"Alright...okay...I'm sorry Davis. Your efforts won't be in vain! Good bye." Welkin got up and ran over to get on his bike.

"And Welks!" He called out to Courier Thirteen once more.

"Yeah?!"

"That coat is fucking girly!" He laughed one last time before feeling his breath leave him. Five managed to at least have a memorable last line. He vaguely heard someone yell jerk and an engine roaring away...but it all became muffled. Five's eyes were starting to lose focus, as was his hearing. He prayed Welkin would get out safely. He blinked his eyes open once more and saw the ghastly faces above him once more before he heard clearly:

_"You belong to us now...join us. We lost who roam the condemned land. One of us. One of us..."_

Davis smiled once more, at ease, and felt himself getting up mindlessly. He could see his body on the floor still, at least the bloody mess that was left of it. Several ghosts and tore it apart...and a part of him wondered what he had died from: the fall or the spirits.

Though...what he did know: He was one of them. One of the lost and the damned. _"Yes...one of you...I am one of you now..."_

XxXxXxX

Welkin jumped off the bike after turning it off and ran over to the office. "Lewis! Five is dead. He's not with us anymore." Lewis looked up from his work.

"Seriously? Damn...he wasn't a bad courier. We'll put him on the memorial wall. What's that you got there?"

"Uh...Man...this is something a Blackwatch agent stole apparently. I don't know what it is, but it sounds really sketchy." Welkin pulled out the box. "Five wanted to get it to Professor Ozpin in Vale." Lewis took a look at the box and examined it. It was sealed and there was a letter attached to it.

"Well...alright. You know the policy of this company. Take the train to Vale and get it delivered. When you're done, I want you back as soon as possible. It's getting busy here." Lewis gestured out the door. He signed off a form for Welkin and handed him a fresh set of orders. Welkin took it and read it, "Standard fees and payment applied. Good luck alright? I'd watch your back if a Blackwatch agent gave that to Five. I don't need to lose another courier. Hurry up by the by, the train is leaving soon."

"You got it boss. I'll be back before you know it." Welkin smirked. Even if it was probably dangerous he couldn't pass on a trip back to Vale. Especially to Beacon. He stepped over to a terminal for couriers and pulled up the messaging system. After a bit of searching through a yellow book, he entered in the school's administrative office inbox to the recipient box. He hammered out a quick message reporting a package being moved to Vale, as well as it going to Professor Ozpin. He attached the standard fee table and rates to the message and sent it off. Now? On to the train station and back to Vale.

XxXxXxX

Team RWBY and JNPR were spending some time at the gym, either sparring or just working out. Ruby Rose and Weiss Schnee were sparring with Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos while Lie Ren was trying to teach Nora Valkyrie some basic taichi (and failing miserably at it). Blake Belladonna was jogging on a treadmill next to Yang Xiao Long, who was in the middle of a set of pull ups. Yang finished off her set and dropped off the high metal bars, wiping the sweat away with a towel. She took a sip of water, looking around the room. After the Vale Crisis, it seemed as though everything had gone back to normal. Probably the biggest difference was the amount of students going into see counselors for therapy; many were still traumatized from the horrors they had seen. Team RWBY and JNPR were lucky in that regard. They could be like Cardin, who had a mental breakdown on the field once because the substance they were collecting looked so much like blood. Otherwise...it was really uneventful. Class was boring, Homework was boring. Even some of their assignments just didn't match up to the adrenaline rush of the Crisis. Yang moved to another side and set up the weights on the bar to bench. She hefted on the heavy plates. Blake moved over to spot for her and take a break from her jog. A part of Yang wondered if Blake even -needed- to jog, considering how fast she moved already.

"So, what'sup?" Yang asked as she pulled on her benching gloves.

"Good, good. How did you do in the last test?" Blake stood over the blonde. The blonde rolled her eyes.

"That test was rigged. Only like, five people did well!" Yang started benching the weight laden bar. "I mean, how does Professor Port expect us to put so much information in a three page paper with only an hour! It's not possible!"

"Hm. It's possible. It's just everything has to be very concise. With his papers, you don't have room to use flowery language, rather, you have to be really concise...Funny, considering how much purple prose he uses."

"Yeah I realize that. Goes against everything we learned in writing class..." Yang grunted and hefted the bar back up, taking a brief rest before the next set. "You did well I take it?" Blake just nodded at her partner as Yang started benching again. "You know, I'd kill for the chance to do something exciting."

"You're in luck. I was speaking to Professor Port and he let slip that there was something big that our school was going to participate in. You know how Alistier is still more or less in ruins? I heard that they wanted some help to rebuild over there. Professor Port introduced a plan to send some teams over there to work with the hunter school or something over there. He called it student extension and outreach." Blake formed air quotes at that.

"Oh, that sounds like fun. Where do we sign up?"

"Didn't say. Professor Port realized he was blabbering and decided to stop telling me anymore. All that we need now is to wait and see if that's going to be a real mission or not." Yang put the bar back on the rack, getting up. She didn't realize how fast she finished those sets. "How's Welkin? He's in Alistier right?"

"Busy. Every time we want to hold a conversation, we end up being too busy to say more than 'Hi how are you. Fine.' It sounds really hectic over there, but that's what happens when things go south and basically becomes abandoned." Yang scratched her cheek lightly, thinking about how little they got to talk.

"Still together?" Blake whispered, grinning cheekily. Yang blushed, turning beet red. Yang recomposed herself and turned to Blake with a smirk.

"I could say the same to you. You know...I didn't know you and Sun were into cheesy romance movies. What's it like living your book every other weekend?" Blake flushed even redder than Yang did.

"Y-you! How did-ahem. What are you talking about?" Blake looked away with her arms crossed. Yang giggled a bit and slung an arm around Yang's neck.

"Aww, don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. I think it's almost time for dinner right?"

"Yeah. And the weekly announcements. Going to get cleaned up?"

"Yep. And I have some other things to take care of. I'll talk to you guys at the table yeah?" Yang grabbed her towel and went off to clean up. Blake waved and went to give some tips to Ruby and Weiss, who were (surprisingly enough) having a hard time with Jaune and Pyrrha.

XxXxXxX

Yang went out to a bench a little ways off of the main hall after cleaning up. The cool night air felt good, and she took a seat to enjoy the calm breeze. Yang whipped out her phone and clicked on it a bit, looking at the screen. "Well...let's see now..." She hit the call button and raised the phone to her ear. The phone toned a bit as she waited for the opposite side to pick up.

"_Hello, this is Welkin Fenrir and thanks for calling. I apologize for not being able to catch your call. Please leave your name and contact information, as well as the nature of your ca-" _Yang closed the phone immediately. Yeah, he was probably busy. Welks had a habit of not answering his phone while working or traveling. She leaned back and sank into the seat a bit, waiting for the clock tower to ring at six PM. It had been a few months since they last saw each other in person. She grinned, they really needed to work out things. It was just a shame they had their own obligations to fulfill first. She had to complete school, and he couldn't just leave his hometown to be lost to the history books. They tried to keep up with each other regularly though, via either letter or phone call.

Letters. Man, that sounds so corny to think about. They could use more modern implements, but Welkin didn't always have access to a terminal to check things. Strangely enough, due to the amount of couriers he runs into all the time, it was much faster to contact Welkin with paper. She felt a soft vibration in her hand and looked down.

"Call from: Crasher...OH!" Yang flipped open the phone as fast as she could. "Sup!"

"Heya tex. How's it going?" Yang grinned, hearing his voice. "Sorry, didn't hear your call earlier, was taking a nap."

"A nap? Did hell freeze over? When did you ever have time to take a nap?" Yang heard Welkin chuckle on the other side and take a deep breath.

"Well, since now. On a train at the moment, on a job. I'm not driving, so I get to have some free time you know?"

"Of course. How are you?"

"Good. Well, could be better. I just wished they would give me a new number that was less cursed."

"Still going on about how your courier number is jinxed?" Yang raised an eyebrow. She knew him by now. He would only complain about being jinxed if it was serious. "What's wrong? Really Welks."

"I don't want to drag you into this by telling you..."

"Com'on, I can hold a secret. What's going on?"

Welkin didn't reply for a bit, taking in Yang's plea. "...Alright. I trust you. So remember how last time I got beat up by Exodus for carrying that part for Faustus' box? Pre-Vale Crisis you know?"

"Of course, how could I forget that?" Yang looked out in the distance at the glowing city lights.

"Well...it wasn't me this time. Someone that I worked with, Davis, or Courier Five, was killed carrying this thinger. He died passing this package on to me. So, as per company policies, I have the task of finishing the delivery. You'd never guess who gets this one..."

"Ozpin? Man...if I didn't know better, he deals in all sorts of shady things..." Yang muttered, looking around to make sure the professor wasn't around. He was scary in that regard; not because he was mean or anything, but because he could appear ANYWHERE. He had shown his ability to do so more than once, and every time it was unnerving.

"Yeah. I don't know...whatever. Here's the kicker. He was killed because this package was from Blackwatch agents." Welkin whispered that into the phone. Yang's eyes widened.

"Blackwatch!? Welks! Those guys are dangerous! Whatever your carrying..." Yang practically shouted in surprise. She swallowed a bit, hoping no one heard that, "Whatever your carrying can't possibly be good!"

"I know. I know! That's why I'm on my way to Vale. Express way, so I'll be there tomorrow afternoon or so. From there I've got my bike, so I'm going to get on the first airship to Beacon when I get there. I don't think I'm being followed. I hope not at least. Either way..."

"Do you know who would want what you're carrying? I can go tell this to Professor Ozpin now if you want. We can go cover you when you get here."

"No, Ozpin already knows. And I told him not to send any body guards or anything. It'll be too obvious as to who is carrying it. I'm with a group of couriers at the moment. We're all going to Vale for various reasons. I'm going to take over for one courier on a mundane drop off, and then split off to Beacon. Helps avoid suspicion, because if I suddenly go to Beacon...it'll be pretty obvious."

"I see...Alright Welks. I trust you. Take care okay?"

"Aye. That I shall milady. How are you? How's classes?" Yang groaned, realizing it was her turn to be grilled.

"Alright...I mean. I'm not doing really well because the tests are rigged, but otherwise okay."

"How bad is not really well?"

"Well...D, but that's not the point!" Yang said quickly. She heard a smack on the other side of the phone. If she had to guess, Welkin just facepalmed. "Hey! It was a hard test!"

"Sure it was. Have you talked to the professor about what you did wrong?"

"Well...no. Not yet."

"You should. I also recommend talking to Blake, or even Weiss. Those two might have a clue as to how to study for a test."

"I know...look, it was just this once. I won't do it again. Also, who are you to talk about my bad grades?"

"Uh..."

"Exactly." Yang smirked in triumph.

"Right, sure. anyways... If you fail again I'll personally come and tutor you until you get a better grade. And I'm not a patient teacher." Yang shuddered, remembering the last time Welkin had to tutor someone as a punishment for forgetting his homework. The poor kid he had to teach had to get a few bones fixed. Suddenly, the school's bell began ringing. "So I hear that bell. Time for dinner?"

"Yeah. I'll talk to you soon okay?"

"Yeah. We'll talk when I'm in town. I'll make sure to drop by with presents or something. Take care of yourself, Yang."

"You too. Be careful Welks. Don't do anything crazy." Yang ended the call. She pocketed the phone and sighed, taking in a breath of cool fresh air.

"I say that conversation went well enough." Yang jumped out of her skin, staring at Blake. Blake smiled at her friend calmly, knowing how much Yang hated being caught frazzled.

"You. Were you watching the whole time?" Yang glared at her catty friend.

"Not the whole time. Just when you were talking about the test. We'll talk about studying more and working out less later. Com'on. Let's go get some food." Yang fell into step next to Blake. "So Welks' is coming back?" Yang nodded. "Good to hear. It'll be nice to see him again." The two entered the main hall and turned toward the dining hall. They pushed into the packed hall and grabbed some plates of food. Yang made sure to get some vegetables for Ruby. They moved to their normal table and sat down across of Ruby and Weiss, who were arguing tactics with Pyrrha and Jaune (mostly Pyrrha.) They settled in and joined in the conversation for a bit, before they heard the microphone feedback.

"I wish they would fix that..." Ruby rubbed her ears gently. They turned and looked at the stage near the front, where Ozpin and Professor Port was standing. Professor Goodwitch was close by. It was odd for him to read the school news for once instead of the student council president.

"May I have your attention please. I'd like to discuss the weekly news..." They all listened to Ozpin drone on about weekly events, looking not very amused all the while. But then he got to one subject."As you know our friends in Alistier are in quite a bind. There is no doubt they are still suffering from a lot of issues rebuilding. Professor Port, who is next to me, and I have agreed to coordinate with the Canthas Private School that is situated very close to Alistier. We agreed that it would be a valuable experience for several teams to visit Alistier, as well as put your learning into practice. Naturally, I will only be sending those worthy of the strict standards of Canthas. Participation is entirely voluntary, but only a strict number of teams shall be selected. Canthas Private School cannot support any more than a small number, as they rely on Alistier." Professor Ozpin stepped aside for Professor Port.

"So ladies and gentlemen, there are currently five teams selected to go. Should any of them pass for any reason, another candidate will be selected. Waivers will be distributed when the teams have been selected to go. Some information to know about Canthas and Alistier: it is cold. Unlike here where the weather cycle is fairly normal, Alistier is perpetually cold and snowy. Warm clothes is mandatory. Furthermore, this is more than a simple field trip. Teams selected to go will be actively trying to help the city, while studying under professors at Canthas. I shall be accompanying you and evaluating your performance." Professor Port reported over the buzz of the students. Questions as to who was selected rose quickly. "Teams that have been selected will be notified privately, as to avoid them being lynched out of jealousy." Professor Port smiled and turned away for Professor Ozpin.

"It will be dangerous in Alistier, as they did not have as much good fortune as Vale did during the crisis. This is a big commitment to go, as you will most likely not return unless an emergency occurs. They need as much help as possible. I wish you all have a good dinner, that is all." Professor Ozpin and Port excused themselves from the stage to join the professors at the elevated faculty tables. Team RWBY and JNPR went back to eating, conversing lightly about Alistier.

XxXxXxX

Yang burst open the door and yawned. She stepped in first, the rest of team RWBY trailing behind. The others went to do their own thing, and Yang laid down for the moment. Suddenly, a loud knocking came from the door. Ruby opened it and peeked out slightly. "Oh! Jaune. What's up?"

"Y-you guys...uh...this uh...was found um. You know. At our-our" Jaune stuttered, holding a piece of paper. "It-I..."

"To Team JNPR: Congratulations, you have been selected as one of the teams to go to Canthas... REALLY?! Oh my god I'm so happy for you!" Ruby high-fived Jaune, but missed and hit him in the face. "Oops."

"Ow. Yeah. Uh, it was on the back of the door! Ren noticed it when he closed it. Did you guys...?" Ruby pulled the door and almost slammed Jaune with it. She pulled out a thin folder and a letter that was slid into the important documents bin they had put up. Ruby pulled it out.

"To Team RWBY: Congratulations, you have been selected as one of the teams to go to Canthas...OH MY GOD! YOU GUYS LOOK AT THIS!" Ruby squealed with delight, passing it over to Weiss and Blake to look.

"Oh...wow...so we got picked..." Weiss stared wide eyed at the paper.

"Heh. I told you we would probably be picked." Blake nudge Weiss lightly.

"Hmf. Anyways. I guess that means we get to go soon then. We will have to make plans and get our gear for that. Winter clothing will be very important there." Weiss read the list of things to take along. They were going to be taking a train there in three days, and they were expecting heavy snow and cold. None of them really had any winter gear to speak of.

"Soooo...clothes shopping?" Yang grinned as she hung backwards off the side of the bed. Weiss nodded. "Woo! Alright!" Yang did a fistpump...and slid off onto the floor because she let go of the sheets.

"We'll go together if you guys are free. So we can get our stuff together."

"Yeah, after class tomorrow? How does that sound?" Ruby looked at her team.

"Uh...maybe not tomorrow night. I've got something to do. You guys can go together, I'll get my stuff on my own." Yang pulled herself off the floor.

"Are you sure? Alright. Sounds like a plan Jaune. We'll see you tomorrow!" Jaune smiled meekly and waved goodnight, turning back to his team's room. "I CAN'T BELIEVE WE GET TO GO!" Ruby squealed in delight. "This is going to be awesome!"

Blake put a hand on Ruby's head gently. "It will be an experience, but it might not necessarily be fun. Remember, Alistier is a mess. We're there to be serious and have fun at the same time." Ruby nodded in acknowledgement. "As long as your remember that...well, I think this will be interesting." The group split to do their own thing afterwards, all excited for a chance to go out of city.

XxXxXxX

End Notes:

Well, that's that for this chapter. I have this irking feeling that this will be longer than _Thirteen,_ as impossible as that might sound. I'm probably going to consider releasing this story in blocks at a time.

_Encyclopedia Entry:_

_Canthas Military Academy. While it's a military academy in name, it is in reality a school for hunters. The school operates on the outskirts of Alistier, and only relies on the city for both recruits and supplies. It is partly funded by the state, but receives more money from the military due to it being the source of a recruits. Unlike other hunter academies, Canthas focuses less on having set teams and more on loose organization. Hunters are trained as individuals, with focus on being capable solo operators. The academy believes in strong individuals over strong teams, as each person builds the framework for a solid team. Trainees are taught to organize themselves into small teams for bigger operations, but generally work in trios or smaller. The academy does split up students according to aptitude however, with the best students going into "Dragon Team" and the okay-at-best going into "Ram Team." These platoons live and learn together, giving each other help when it's needed. That being said, a student cannot be expected to be carried through school._

_As sad as it is to say, students accepted to Canthas end up being cold loners OR enthusiastic leaders. It's a very strange day when there are very few people in the middle of the spectrum. Because of the student composition, they seldom get along with other academies. Not so much they don't get along due to different standards, but more so because they're unlikely to speak with other students._


	3. Part Two: Catch Up

Intro Notes: Well, I certainly need to keep up with updating. I'm hammering this out too quickly for my own good. I might need to go back and edit it to align everything. Also I need to keep track of uploading, editing, and publishing things. I find myself finishing parts and then forgetting all about it and moving on to the next. I hate to make people wait for the continuation. Sorry! At any rate, I hope you enjoy this next part!

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY and all that jazz. I claim only original stuff.

XxXxXxXxX

**Chapter One: To Alistier**

Part Two: Catch Up

XxXxXxXxX

_Welkin sighed and checked the food supplies he was carrying back to the convoy. He was with a convoy that had decided to go on an expedition into block two. Since there were no courier jobs available, Courier One had ordered them to take other jobs that they could handle. They were on a two part mission: trying to find anyone who managed to survive in the snow and ruins for several months and finding more food supplies; but it was for a good cause. Welkin knew block two like the back of his hand, even if it was just a lot of ruins. After a few days of searching, they had managed to rescue only a handful of badly traumatized civilians. As sad as it was to say, they were more likely to be dead weight than helpful from how bad the PTSD was. On the final day, Welkin had finally visited home._

_Welkin checked the elegant pocket watch his father checked the time. The watch clicked softly, not relying on dust to run. They were almost finished packing up. After an hour of picking up, the trucks were boarded for the return trip. Welkin sat next to an old man he had pulled from the rubble a day prior. Bill had gone off and boarded onto the lead truck, leaving him to watch over some of the people they saved in the back. _

_"I'm sorry. Bill told me about your family." The old man stated. "Thank you for your help, but I'm sorry." The old man took a sip from his ornate silver flask; the one thing he managed to salvage from his apartment._

_"For what? It's not like you caused the fall." Welkin sat back against the bench on the back. There was cold setting in, and he was thankful they were leaving soon. He noticed something in his peripheral vision. He looked out the back, spotting something odd. It was a bloody figure. Eerie, to say the least. He blinked a few times...and the figure was gone._

_"It doesn't matter if I caused it or not, I'm still sorry that your parents did not make it while I did."_

_"...I just wish we didn't end it on such bad terms. Though they aren't all dead...I think my sisters are still in Canthas. I just...regret not talking to them more." Welkin rubbed his hands together to warm his gauntleted hands, as if that would help warm him up. The figure appeared again in his peripheral vision. He turned and finally got a good look at it. It was a blood soaked person...man or woman Welkin couldn't tell. The figure noticed him and held out its arm. It suddenly teleported closer, causing Welkin to jump slightly. As soon as it moved, there were more. Several in fact. Welkin felt the old man nudge him._

_"See something boy? You look like you saw a ghost." Welkin shook his head and looked back. They were even closer now. The cold was almost unbearable, and he was from Alistier! He jumped when suddenly a ghastly, bloody skull appeared in front of him. It opened its jaws and let out a horrifying sigh. He felt a cold boney hand touch his shoulder and start pulling him out the back of the fast moving truck. Suddenly with a jolt, the old man had sat his ass down and held him there. "OI! You're going to fall off and crack yer skull! What do you think you-"_

_"I..." Welkin rubbed his eyes and face, the figures stopped following them as soon as they left block two. They stared pointing at the truck-no, him. They turned their hands and gestured with their fingers, telling him to come back. He wanted to join them for some reason, but the old man held him down._

_"Focus boy. Here. Drink this." He handed Welkin the flask of whiskey. Welkin took a sip hesitantly, never having drunk before. He took another long swig and blinked a few times. They sat back in their chair, not speaking for a few minutes. Suddenly, without warning, "You saw them didn't you?" Welkin looked at the old man inquisitively. "They were how I lost my son. Those...cursed...I have seen them too."_

_"Those skeletons...? That bloody skull?" Welkin looked at the old man inquisitively, and at the same time surprised he was able to guess it so accurately._

_"Indeed...I saw them...they...they took my son a few weeks back. Same thing happened. We were hiding in a office building and he saw them outside the window. He said something about needing to go to them...and before I could stop him he had leapt off to his death. I looked down and saw them. A horde of damned and bloody spirits surrounding my son. I also saw he had become one of them. I hid before they could see me." The old man took another swig and offered it to Welkin. Welkin took it back and took another drink, offering it back. The old man shook his head. "Keep it. As a thank you for saving my life."_

_"...thanks. I guess. Thanks for the information too." He looked back out the truck as the old man shifted to take a short nap._

_It was after that he would start seeing those bloody faces and spirits. Whenever he went to certain blocks, he would feel a chill and suddenly they would appear. Whenever he was resting he would see them in his dreams._

XxXxXxX

Welkin jolted up. He did not expect to dream of seeing those faces again. He leaned back against the soft carriage chair and propped his feet up against the opposite seat. He looked out the window at the red forest. They were in some canyon or some such, on their way to Vale. From his memory, they were almost there. Welkin pulled out the ornate silver flask the old man had given him. From his memory, the old man was now working as a cook at the train yard, and he was doing fairly well. Stopped drinking from what he heard. Bill was still spelunking, but they'd always share a drink whenever they ran into each other at the Desperado Tavern. Welkin pulled out a bottle of vintage Blend 68 he had recovered from his father's liquor cabinet. He smiled somewhat and refilled the flask.

Drinking occasionally wasn't bad. He had it under control. Not enough to be wasted, and certainly not enough to be dangerous to himself and others around him. He shook the half filled flask a little and capped it, putting them both away. Welkin knew: drinking to escape was the cowards way out, and he wasn't a coward.

"Hey Pinky, awake now I see." The courier was wearing a forest pattern camo jacket, and wore a patch with eight stars on his arm. "You were snorin' a storm. You okay?" Welkin nodded and got up as the train came to a complete stop at the station.

"Yeah. I'm...I'm fine." He felt a package get shoved into his arms. It was a small brown letter attached to a medium sized wooden crate.

"You're taking over right? Here. This is my first delivery." Welkin checked the tag and nodded. "Don't screw it up pinky. We know how jinxed you are." He felt a pat on the back and followed the courier off the train after gathering up their other packages. The warm air was certainly different a lot different compared to the frigid cold up north. A worker helped Welkin push his bike out and down the ramp on the back, giving him instructions as to where to go and how to get out of the station. He sent back word to base that he arrived at Vale and then started the drive to the first destination.

XxXxXxX

The two teams stepped out of the lecture hall, horribly bored by Professor Port's longwinded lectures. Ruby stretched and rubbed her eyes gently, tired from class. "Well, we're out now," she yawned, "What now?"

"We go shopping! We need to get warm clothing and stuff right?" Nora semi-cheered, bouncing slightly. The others nodded. They returned to their rooms to change into their normal clothing, idly talking and chatting the way.

"You guys have fun. I'll meet up with you all later?" Yang asked as she plopped down on her bed for a nap.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us now?" Ruby asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Yeah. I've got some things to handle. You guys have fun okay? And Ruby: really, get something warm. Combat skirts are nice and all but up north you might need some thicker things." Ruby rolled her eyes and retorted something about not being a kid anymore. The two teams left to go to the commercial district. Yang laid down sleepily and decided to take a nap.

XxXxXxX

Sometime later, Yang heard a loud buzzing from her side. She picked up the phone groggily and answered it, "Hello?"

"Yang? You free? I'm on campus." Welkin reported to her. Yang rolled off her bed instinctively, only realizing too late she wasn't on the bottom. She let out a yelp and thudded against the floor, groaning in pain. "...Did you just fall out of bed?"

"Shut up, it was an accident. I'll meet you at the main hall okay?" Yang closed the phone before Welkin could reply and went to freshen up. After five minutes or so, she sprinted to the main hall to find Welkin. "Welks!" Yang skidded to a stop and waved to the pink coated man. "Hey! It's good to see you!" She tackle hugged him tightly, causing him to cough in pain.

"Oof! Good to see you too. You haven't changed much." Welkin pat her head -very- gently, not risking damaging it at all.

"Yeah? You changed a lot. I have to say the super light pink works well on you."

"Yeah, if I want to get weird looks. You know how many men have hit on me in the last few months?" He grinned. "I have to say, I am quite the manbait." Welkin flexed his arms slightly and did a joke pose.

"Aww, so you're going to get a man instead? I thought you were interested still!" Yang teased. She caught a whiff of alcohol. "Hey...why do you smell like Whiskey?"

"Huh? Probably because the last package I had to deliver was at a bar..." Welkin looked away, telling a half-truth. Before Yang could grill him further, he turned and gestured. "Gotta go turn something into to Professor Ozpin." He marched off quickly to find Professor Ozpin's office. He knocked after getting the okay from the secretary. He heard a voice and opened the door, followed closely by Yang.

"Ah. There you are Mister Fenrir. It is good to see you again." Professor Ozpin placed the mug down on the desk and sat down, continuing his paper work. "I believe you had something for me?" Welkin snapped his heels together and saluted.

"Yes sir. Straight from Alistier, on express."

"You got here quite fast. Let us see this package." Welkin pulled out the small box and letter, handing it to Professor Ozpin. He also pulled out the payment device for Professor Ozpin to slid his card. "...Interesting. Mister Fenrir, you know what you were carrying correct?"

"I...only know I got it from a courier who received it with from a Blackwatch agent. I know it's dangerous, like most things I carry." Welkin joked morbidly.

"Exodus is on the move again I see. I will have to have my agents get some more information. What you are carrying is the remnants from a top secret project from a few years ago. I'm glad that you brought it here...but curious as to why it is in two pieces."

"I do not know myself sir."

"Very well. Miss Xiao Long? Would you be so kind as to leave us for a minute?" Yang nodded and left, closing the door behind her. "First of all...I would like to request your assistance. The headmaster of Canthas Academy is expecting several teams from here. I would like you to deliver a letter when you get there...as well as escort the teams around Alistier. Would you do so for me?"

"uh...yes sir. I can do so. I know Alistier like the back of my h-well...what's left of it like the back of my hand, and Canthas to a lesser degree." Professor Ozpin handed him an engraved and sealed letter to the headmaster.

"Excellent. There you are. Please give her my regards. Second thing. I need you sober for this."

"W-what?" Welkin took a step back.

"I smell the alcohol Mister Fenrir. Blend 68 if I had to guess. While your taste in alcohol is exquisite, I do not think you should be drinking."

"I'm not drinking. Sir. I had to drop something off at a bar." Welkin retorted at the Professor. "Furthermore, what I do with my own time is my business sir. I would never drink during a job. I understand you are worried for your students, but I am never drunk while on the job. Never had been before either for that matter."

Professor Ozpin said nothing more and made a gesture, dismissing him. Welkin left and closed the door behind him. The secretary handed him a key card to get access to a room on campus, since he would be leaving with the teams to Alistier. He walked to the elevator, his thoughts very very far from his current location.

"WELKS!" He jumped and flinched, raises his arms in self defense instinctively. "You're spacing out on me!"

"S-sorry Yang. Mind if we go drop off my stuff first?" Yang nodded and the two made their way to the employee rooms. "Was I really spacing out?"

"Yeah! I tried getting your attention three times man! I was ready to punch you!" Yang crossed her arms, glaring at the courier.

"Ah. Sorry milady. How could I ignore such a wonderful rose as yourself eh?" Welkin joked and Yang slapped his arm hard. "OW!"

"You deserved that." Yang defended as Welkin was about to retort. They entered the clean room and Welkin dropped off all the gear he wouldn't need. "So? Ready to go shopping?!" Yang smiled broadly at the courier, who paled.

"Oh gods. My wallet is already crying." Welkin hung his head and rubbed his forehead slightly. "Where to first?"

"We need to get winter clothes, so how 'bout the mall first?" Welkin nodded.

Then something hit him, "Wait. Don't you already have a ton of clothes?!"

"Nothing for winter. Except maybe your jacket. By the way I took your jacket." He raised an eyebrow.

"Which one? You magpied my formal one alread-oh no. Did you take my black one?!"

"Welllll sorta! It looked comfortable, and they made a few copies! So I decided to take one. You know, as compensation for buying you that pink one!" Yang smirked cheekily as they made their way across the park. Welkin blanched, now he was going to be stuck wearing pink until he got said copies. He had ordered two duplicate sets of the pink outfit he wore, reasoning at the least if it gets damaged he'll have another, as the black outfit was out of commission. The two boarded the first airship that arrived with Welkin's bike in tow. "What? You say that like it's a bad thing!" Welkin hugged her tightly.

"Geez, my little magpie. Who would've thought you'd be such a thief." Yang elbowed him lightly. The two shared a chuckle and made their way to the commercial district.

XxXxXxX

"How about this?" Ruby pulled out a heavy puffy jacket.

"Uh. No. That looks really bad." Weiss asked as they went through the winter clothing. Ruby had not gone off to do her own thing like Blake and the others had around the store. No. She was stuck like glue to Weiss. And frankly? Outside of the cloak and skirt, Ruby's taste in clothing...needed work. Funny, considering her blonde sibling is the epitome of fashion nuts. The silly looking puffy jacket certainly looked warm, but...just no.

"Well...um...how about this one?" Ruby pulled out a heavy winter coat. "But if I wear this I won't be able to wear my cloak..." Weiss rolled her eyes. At least the coat looked good, compared to the jacket. Weiss looked through the clothes some more and looked up to see Ruby wearing the coat and some other stuff. She was also wearing...some kind of knit beard?! Also where did she get that pin?! "Guess who I am! Grr I'm going to punch you!" She raised her fists like an old fashion brawler would. Weiss narrowed her eyes.

"OH! Are we playing charades! Lemme guess!" Nora suddenly appeared next to Weiss, making the heiress jump. "Ummmm yooouuuu aree...the MAGNIFICENT BEARDO!"

"Huh?" Weiss looked at the bubblehead, confused.

"Yeah! Totally! He's that bearded wrestler! He looks really silly, but he's not a bad fighter!"

"Uh...okay, maybe the beard was a bit much..." Ruby pulled off the beard, rubbing the back of her head. "Did you find everything you need?" As if on cue, a tired Ren walked over lugging a pile of clothing. They could see Ren struggling from the weight of the clothing, and Nora grinning cheekily.

"Yep! How about yo-ooooh! That's a nice coat!" Nora leaned over and examined the coat carefully. "This would look good on Jaune!" The others thought for a moment, looking at the slight off white coat. "I'm going to take that if you don't mind!" Ruby held it out for her and Nora took it and tossed it onto Ren's pile.

"Nora...please." Ren let out an exasperated gasp.

"Hmm? Okay, let's go Ren!" Nora swept off quickly, followed by Ren. Ruby and Weiss still couldn't believe they got along...

After a bit more browsing, the two finalized their clothing choices and lined up to pay. Nora and Ren's pile was taking a little longer than normal because Ren had to check the clothing before they paid. "Ruby? Where's Blake?"

"Huh? Oh, she said to meet at the food court when we were done. She got everything she needed already. She was here a while ago..."

"Well, I hope she doesn't forget anything for rushing out of here." Weiss crossed her arms. She looked around the store some more and then back to the entrance. "Here, I'll take care of it. Just make Yang pay me back alter." Weiss pulled out her credit card when they got to the register.

"Thanks Weiss! I'll be sure to do so." The two finished up everything and met up with team JNPR. They left and found Blake at the food court...with Sun, who just happened to be there at the same time.

XxXxXxX

Welkin leaned against the pillar outside of the store in the mall. He was already carrying tons of bags already, some of his stuff mixed in some of the bags. He dearly, DEARLY, regret giving Yang a blank check on his wallet. He wondered if he would even have enough money for a ticket home. He looked through some of the stuff in the bags. Winter clothing, winter clothing, normal clothing...there was just so much clothing. Mixed in there somewhere was some other supplies that the shopping list had said to bring. Welkin wondered if she would need a suit case-rather, he wondered if he will be paying for a new one. Yang came out grinning gleefully at more bags of loot. She immediately piled it onto Welkin as soon as she came out. "Milady, if I may ask a question?'

"Why are you talking like that?"

"I don't know...how do you want me to address you? I'm still new to this sorta thing..." Welkin blushed slightly, embarrassed. Yang giggled a bit and tiptoed up, pecking his cheek gently.

"Thanks for the clothes." Yang smirked at the profusely red Welkin.

"Y-yeah, no problem."

"By the way, the stubble is nice. Just don't let it get too big." Welkin rubbed his chin with the back of his hand while trying to balance the bags. He forgot to shave...again.

"YANG!" Yang turned around and looked down the way. Ruby appeared with a woosh in between the two of them, the window causing Welkin to stumble a little.

"Hey Ruby! What's up? Did you get everything you need?" Yang patted Ruby's head gently.

"You just kissed him! What was that all about?!" Ruby more or less shouted at Yang.

"Hey, calm down. It's perfectly normal." Yang looked at Welkin and glared at him when he was about to open his mouth to speak. He shut his jaw as soon as possible to let Yang handle the situation.

"It is. I was wondering if there was something going on between you to." Weiss walked over.

"Hm? Why's that? Jealous that I managed to nab a slice of man like him?" Yang leaned forward slightly and smirked, teasing the heiress. Weiss was less than amused.

"No. I'm not surprised a beast like you would be interested in a complete savage." Weiss retorted.

"Uh...savage? I'm right here you know..." Welkin muttered, confused somewhat. "I'd be glad to talk philosophy if you'd li-" Yang elbowed him. "Ow."

"Anyways. Did you get everything you need? We need to go back now. We need to go turn in those forms to Professor Ozpin and start packing things away. We should also do a little research about what to expect there. I'm curious about their customs."

"For one, we drink a lot." Welkin looked at Weiss, who narrowed her gaze on him.

"I am being serious Crasher."

"As am I. You'll know what I mean when you get there." He grinned. "Also, no, we're not all drunk louts. Canthas' Private School is horrifyingly strict and rigid. My li-well. Someone I know that goes there used to talk about the ridiculous military-grade standards."

"Uhuh. Sure. Anyways, if we're done here, let's go." The group left the mall together and Welkin went to secure his bike. They made their way back to school to drop off their stuff soon afterwards.

XxXxXxX

Welkin split off from the group and found a terminal to order a ticket the same day and report the situation. He sat down at the terminal in the employee room to type up the post-delivery report. He hammered away at the holographic keyboard, using short hand to go through it really quick. As soon as he sent off that report, he received several notifications from other couriers. More reports to be done. Oh how dearly he wanted to pass on all of it. He knew how much of a prick Lewis could be when it came to writing short reports, so he leaned back and looked at where he could pad all the papers. He looked at the clock. It was getting late, to his surprise. Welkin pulled out a glass tumbler and a bottle of vintage alcohol he had recovered, getting set up for a long night.

The clock ticked away as Welkin wrote report after report. With only the bright lamp and the monitor for illumination, it was starting to get eerie. He had take a few sips every so often, so he could remain sober enough to finish the reports. Even though he was drinking, he suddenly felt this unnerving chill.

_'Come to us...'_ Welkin raised an eyebrow. He disregarded whatever he heard as just his imagination. Welkin continued typing out the second to last report. The voice did not reappear, and Welkin saved the report before sending it off to HQ. A part of him wondered if Lewis even read all the reports he hammered ou-

_'Son of Alistier, come back to us.'_

Welkin looked up and around after starting up a new page to write the last, and longest, report. Perhaps he was being delusional. Welkin emptied the half full glass and swallowed the drink, realizing how vile it really was. That did not stop him from refilling it again. He started working on the last report mechanically.

_Name: Welkin Fenrir  
Type of Report: Standard Post Delivery Report  
Report: Upon arrival in Vale, things went smoothly as planned. Took train from Alistier straight to Vale, express way. Uneventful trip, got to nap for once. Agreed w/ courier 8 and took over delivery of package RJ-21556. Route went well, no suspicious activity. I need to go home. Did not appear to be followed by agents. Spoke with a few locals regarding suspicious characters. Son of Alistier, come back to us. Had taken precautions to prevent ambush and or survive, will continue to do so until return to Alistier. Yes. Comeback to us.-_

Welkin stopped typing and looked at the few sentences. He...he didn't write those. Not consciously at least. "What the..?" He went back and deleted them immediately. He needed to keep the report clean. He continued typing like a drone, hammering out the small details of the delivery.

_'Your mother says hello...' _Welkin looked up and growled. It had to be a prank. He stalked over angrily to the door and swung it open, expecting some punks to be playing a prank on him. He looked down the halls and shut the door behind him. Welkin did a quick patrol and found a professor. "Excuse me sir, did you see anyone around here or in this hallway?"

"My good sir, no I did not. Why, I do not believe anyone has passed by here at all! Yes. It's been quiet all night." Professor Port smiled broadly, twirling his mustache a bit. "Now, it is quite late and I believe I shall turn in for the evening. Good evening sir." Professor Port nodded politely to Welkin and strolled off. Welkin rubbed his face and went back to his room. He plopped himself back into his seat and started typing again. Some more time rolled by and Welkin finished the paper, sending it away.

_'Do you remember all your friends back in Alistier? Oh how many are with us now...you should join us.' _Welkin refused to acknowledge the voices presence. He filled his glass with cold water, took a swig, and closed the different papers he had hammered out, saving them onto his save drive. He leaned back in his chair and looked at the door. He stared at it when suddenly it swung open, making him jump. Two figures teleported into the doorway, both bloody and torn up. He was almost certain one of them was missing a leg, but they hovered and not walked. The one with a tilted head lifted it barely enough for him to make out the 'face.' It was that bloody skull. The one that haunted him every time he had peace. He finally recognized the clothing.

One was wearing a simple white one-piece dress, but the figure wearing it was bloody and torn to pieces. The other one was more familiar. Grey school coat, royal purple and lavender tartan skirt, and a beat up sash with a fire breathing dragon on a shield embroidered onto it. The sash itself was grey and white, and two extra tassels made of silver thread hung off the bottom of the shield. It was the Canthas uniform for Dragon team. They both lifted their heads and opened their jaw, giving off a ghastly sigh. Welkin pulled out his magnum and tried firing, but the gun clicked empty. He tossed the magnum and lifted his fists, but his gauntlets didn't activate for some reason. _'Come home to us...we miss you. Mom and dad misses you...' _The two figures breathed out. It was terrifyingly demonic. The cold breath chilled his bones and froze him with terror. He stumbled back as the two reached out for him...and felt himself falling.

Welkin jolted up from his seat. He jumped off the chair and raised his fists to fight. But...there was no one there. No ghosts, no demons. He sat back down and looked at the document.

_Come home to us. Come home to us. Come home to us. Come home to us._

The page was filled with the same line. And at the very bottom he read:

_Sasha and Illya miss you._

He closed and deleted the document immediately. He grabbed the glass and tried to take a drink, but realized it was empty. When did he...? He looked at the uncapped bottle on the table and slapped himself slightly, blinking. He must've been tired. Welkin capped the bottle again and refilled the glass with water. He sat back down, thinking hard about his situation. What was that just now?

XxXxXxXxX

End Notes:

Well, I'm taking a bit longer to update than I thought. I apologize, I've been swamped with problems at the moment. I'm working on sorting that out and working on using this as a sort of therapy for stress. I'll need to make sure there aren't any inconsistencies. If you see them, feel free to point them out and let me know so I can perform some magic.

Until next time my friends, I'm going to go slay this godforsaken Smelter Demon with my +10 Lightning Claymore. TO ME, SUNBROS!

_Encyclopedia Entry:_

_Alistierian Traditions. The culture of the city of Alistier seems...a bit generic at first glance. They seem like the kind of people who are lazy, drunk, party goers with no goal in life. The taverns and bars are always filled with patrons from 5PM to even early in the morning, and the racket rarely dies down in them. Alistierian taverns are traditionally built with a stage and room for musicians, always making sure it's lively. The people of Alistier are quite friendly, especially with a bottle of ale in their hands. Alcohol is the social lubricant for the people, and it's worked well so far. It may be easy to prejudge them as nothing more than drunks just by looking at their nightlife._

_But during the day the people change into something else. The people are a hardy, rough 'n tough, bunch who have no qualms with hard labor. A good portion of the workers are lumberjacks, working the lumber industry that grew from the massive forest near by. While at work, they are diligent and smart, but at the same time not completely anal about every little detail or fussing over small inconsistencies. They love life, and taking that away from them just because of labor does not sit well with them._

_Some local traditions include the custom of buying a new acquaintance an alcoholic beverage, usually of the purchasers' favorite brand. The two will clink their glasses together and drink (if not chug) the mug, and after finishing yell Slainte Mhor! It is a sign of respect to at least try and finish the drink, even if it does not fit your palate. Other traditions include using drinking contests and brawling to settle disputes. Travelers should not be surprised if suddenly two angry Alisterians start slugging it out in the bar (this is not gender exclusive.)_

_Furthermore, travelers should not be scared in a tavern when people start dancing or singing along to a folk tune or a popular song. It is perfectly normal and acceptable to join along or pass. Traditional instruments include fiddles or violins, some sort of wind instrument, percussion instruments, and harmonicas. If there is no tune playing, it is also acceptable to start a song and see what happens._


	4. Part Three: Small Talk (A)

Intro Notes:

I have no idea why I keep putting off putting more chapters out. Idleness is consuming my life after all.

Anyways. Going to keep moving forward now. Still putting the pieces together - and making them fit for that matter. I do hope you enjoy. I'll probably say again, if you haven't already, check out _Thirteen_.The more I write the more I realize...yeah, maybe I should say go read that first. Please enjoy.

XxXxXxXxX

**Chapter One: To Alistier**

Part Three: Small Talk

Side A: Realization

XxXxXxXxX

The next day passed without incident. Nothing happened as the others went to class like normal and prepared to leave for Alistier. Welkin stayed at the school for the duration, doing paperwork for the company in the quiet of his room. He joined the others for meals and breaks, but otherwise kept to himself. During the nights he would go back to his room and go to bed...but those terrors.

Those terrors came back for him every night. Those bloody wraiths. Every night it would play out the same for him. They would come and try and tell him the same thing. The nights got worse for him. He tried to resist one night, resist the drink. But that night the horrors came with even more. Welkin dreamt of a burning city, and everything he had falling to pieces. Those figures would come back after the vision and tell him:

_'This is what happens when you don't join us...'_

He had a drink every night, going through that vintage bottle of whiskey at a steady pace. He still had a few bottles in Alistier that he had scavenged, and he certainly knew where to get more of the product. Every morning he felt worse than the last...but he was keeping himself in control. The terrors will not get the best of him. Never. But still, it would never be the same. How could it ever be the same?

XxXxXxXxX

Welkin heard the loud thumping at the door and groaned. It was way too early for him. He grabbed his phone on the night stand and flicked it open. Nine AM...wait what? Welkin pushed himself off the messy bed and looked down. Pants. Check. Clean? Future Welkin's problem. Odor? Mostly sweat. He wiped down the brow and heard the furious knocking again and some voices. His head pounded harder with each thump on the door and he called out "I heard you!" He slouched forward, feeling more miserable than necessary. Welkin trudged toward the door slowly, running a hand through his sweat drenched hair. He clicked the lock open and pulled the door open to greet his guests, "Morning? Did someone die? What's with all the noise...?" He groaned and rubbed his temple. He'd need a salve for this morning headache later.

"Welks! It's almost time to go! Why aren't you ready yet?!" Yang blurted out loudly, causing Welkin to reel back in pain.

"I just got up...simmer down...ready for what?" Welkin asked blearily as he blocked the doorway with his frame.

"We're going to Alistier, remember? You were supposed to escort us around?" Welkin clicked his tongue and nodded, remembering somewhat. He noticed Blake standing a little bit behind Blake and waved to her in acknowledgement. Blake's eyes widened somewhat, and her bow perked up slightly. He suddenly felt something wrong...

"Yeah. I remember. I'm coming. Train doesn't leave until eleven or so right? You'll all be fiinnneee." Welkin waved his hands dismissively. "I need to clean up. I'll see you guys later?" Welkin asked the two. Yang grinned and nodded, turning to leave.

"Let's go Blake." Yang called out and hurried off to find something to snack on. Welkin waved her off and turned to close the door when Blake caught it. He raised an eyebrow and turned to see Blake glaring at him. Her eyes bored into him, like that drill of a migraine that was putting a hole in his brain. He was about to speak when Blake pointed to the bottle and tumbler on the desk.

"When." Blake glared at him accusingly. Welkin was taken aback, not expecting her to be so bold as to point out the bottle.

"I don't know what you mean." Welkin turned back and went to get some clean clothing. Blake picked up the bottle as Welkin scavenged the room for his gear.

"Don't lie. I can smell it on you. When did this all start?" Blake gestured to the mess of a work station. She picked up his bottle of alcohol. He sighed. Lying would only exacerbate the problem, and she had already pieced together what happened. "I would rather not discuss this in front of Yang, which is why I'm asking you in private now. You have a hangover, and you've clearly been drinking. What I want to know is why?"

"What does it matter why? I drink because I drink. And it's not a lot. A glass a night hasn't killed anyon-well." Welkin spat back viciously, not wanting to be grilled by Blake with the migraine. He rubbed his temples gently, "Sorry. I meant to say. That is not your problem."

Blake narrowed her eyes more, "It will be a problem when we get to Alistier and you're supposed to be guiding us. Not to mention how can I trust someone who's drinking? Give it to me straight Welkin." Welkin turned around put the clothes on the chair before taking the bottle from her hands. He turned over the bottle a bit, examining the mahogany liquid that swirled around the bottle as he turned it. It was a clear, rectangular bottle produced by Atas Daniels, with black and white labels. It was certainly fancy, with detailed flowers formed on the corners. On the front was a giant Blend 68 and an year on it, the year indicating the vintage of the bottle.

"Blend 68. Some of the finest made by brewers in Tobrunsek. In fact, this blend is perhaps their best quality batch ever. Supposedly they only make a few barrels of it, because it's simply too hard to mass produce. That's what this is. Blake. This is not a problem, and neither will it affect my duties to you and your friends. Rest assured, I take my tasks seriously when I am on duty." Welkin felt a cold blade touch his neck, the razor edge cutting very close to his skin.

"I said not to lie." Blake growled, displeased with his answer. "Don't dodge the question either."

"I warn you against putting your blade to my neck. I do not want either of us to do anything rash." Welkin looked at Blake, trying to hid the fear of getting his neck slit. He recalled someone in Alistier suffering a similar fate: the blood ended up everywhere, even on the ceiling. "I want you to not push the issue Blake. I'd rather not talk about it." Blake lowered the blade slightly, glaring at him.

"Would you prefer it if I had Yang ask you instead?" Welkin froze and his migraine disappeared. Those words brought a terrifying level of clarity to him.

"NO!" Welkin blurted in panic. "No. Don't do that." He sighed and rubbed his forehead. She was not going to leave the issue alone was she? "Alright. You want to know how and why? Here's the short and long of it: I went home." He slammed the bottle back on the desk a little harder than necessary. "I went home and everything went south of the border. Happy? Now get out." Blake took a step back and thought about the words.

"You mean...what do you mean you went home?" Blake pressed, trying to get deeper into the issue. If there's one thing she learned from her teammates, it was to press on until they get to the core of the problem.

"That's it. I went back to Alistier, saw how much of a shithole it became, and started drinking. Out." Welkin refused to budge, or give any more ground.

"What did you see in Alistier that caused you to start drinking? You're normally pretty straight laced. It -must- be something serious for you to break that."

"And how the hell do you know I was straight laced? What do you know about me huh? Alistierians love to drink. Get out and leave me be. I need to clean up before we leave." Welkin gestured at the door, glaring at the girl now.

"...Fine. I won't ask any more now. But if you want what's good for you, I suggest you talk to someone about it." Blake turned around and went to leave the room. Welkin grabbed her wrist and threw her hard against the wall, pushing her against it by her shoulder.

"Don't. Tell. Yang." Welkin growled.

"And why shouldn't I? You're not in any position to be making threats Welkin." Blake calmly retorted. She was surprised he didn't knock the wind out of her with that throw.

"Then you should tell me what you want before you threaten with blackmail." Blake thought for a moment.

"I want you to talk to me about it. Doesn't have to be now, but some time." Welkin chuckled somewhat, a grin breaking out that almost screamed 'that's not going to be too hard.' "I also want you to stop drinking. No more funny business." Welkin's expression shifted quickly to unamused.

"Really, you make it sound like I'm drinking myself under." Blake shook her head.

"If you care for your friends, then you will." Welkin paused for a moment and let Blake go. "Well? What do you prefer? Talking it over or dealing with Yang, and probably everyone else for that matter, being angry at you for drinking-even if occasionally?"

"...You are too perceptive for your own good. Fine. I'll talk. But no more now. Maybe on the train. Are we done? The sweat really is starting to bother me." Blake nodded and left the room, rubbing her wrist somewhat. Welkin closed the door and took a deep breath. This was going to be a hellofa train ride.

XxXxXxXxX

Chris and Erin stood in front of Professor Ozpin. As per orders, he switched his normal camo outfit for a decent suit. It was full dark blue and featured a solid dark blue tie. Junior would laugh and say he knew a suit would look good on him. Erin stood behind him, wearing a copy of Beacon's school uniform but without the markings. Chris scratched his neck slightly, not very used to being in a stuffy suit. It had taken a while for him to fully heal up, but at least he was relatively okay now. Erin had gotten him earlier from his 'office' in the lower levels of Beacon. Professor Ozpin had something important to show them apparently.

"I see you are finally wearing the suit for once. Good." Professor Ozpin smiled lightly at his new pawn. Junior didn't need to know he had taken Chris for himself. The information broker could be without one of his best agents for now. "Now...let us not wait. Let me show you two something...rather interesting." Professor Ozpin gestured to a board with the map shown on it. The tapped the screen a few times, and the board switched from showing a map of Vale to a set of blue prints and plans. In the top left corner, the words 'PROJECT VULCAN' were typed in bold. The blueprints were extremely detailed, marking all the important parts of...well...whatever it was. "This is Project Vulcan. As you are aware from your recent 'activities,' Exodus is far from over. They are no longer a threat here...or at least not much of one. Blackwatch agents have ascertained their current main area of operation is in Alistier."

"...that looks like a reactor." Chris commented, examining the unusual cylinder with all sorts of crap jutting out of it. In the center of the complex sat a platform for a 'core.'

"An astute observation. It is indeed a reactor. Project Vulcan is in fact the more modern name for another project XLT Research was working on. My sources tell me that this is, in fact, a full blueprint for a 'thermanova reactor.' If the specifications on this blueprint are to believed, then this machine is capable of powering an area about half the size of Vale...on its own." Erin and Chris looked at each other dubiously.

"So...what? It's just a power generator? What's the problem with that?" Erin asked. Chris sighed. He forgot how dull Erin could be.

"It means they're probably building something big that requires such a huge power source. It doesn't look like it's powered conventionally..."

"Indeed, it is not. It's not dust powered for some reason. Quite to opposite in light of their last super weapon." Professor Ozpin pulled up a smaller schematic of the Faustus Box from several months past. "Exodus is likely building the device in Alistier, taking advantage of the fact the city is in ruins. However, the good news is that they cannot simply activate the box. Blackwatch agents have stolen the two part core needed to finish and power on the reactor. Indeed, said Blackwatch agents gave it to a friend of mine. Agent Davis, otherwise known as Courier Five, was meant to transport the device to me." Professor Ozpin handed Erin the letter. "But he was unfortunately caught and hunted down. He was killed passing on the package to Courier Thirteen, whom you two know very well I believe."

"Welkin is alive? That's good to hear!" Erin smiled brightly, clapping her hands together. Chris felt a part of him tremble. He did not want to get punched out by Welkin, especially if the man found out he escaped death.

"Indeed. Courier Thirteen dropped this off to me..." Professor Ozpin pulled out the small box he had gotten from Welkin. He opened it up by the small table near the board and pulled out the inert half-core. Chris and Erin looked at it carefully.

"It...doesn't look like much. How does it even work?" Professor Ozpin smiled at Erin.

"There is no need for you to worry about that Miss Maxswel. Here are my orders to you: go to Alistier and find the other half of this core. The last known location is here." Professor Ozpin switched the monitor display to show a map of Alistier. He pointed to the block where Davis was killed. "Unlike your normal missions, I will not be assigning a handler. You have full discretion to how you want to operate in Alistier, so long Exodus does not detect you."

"Uh...professor, I hate to say it but...what do you mean by no handler? Aren't you worried one of us might make a break for Exodus and try to rejoin them?" Chris asked, putting a hand on his side. Normally Professor Goodwitch would oversee their operations, because Professor Goodwitch could probably easily take the two of them down.

"Indeed, there is some risk. But I believe I am willing to take that. Ex-Exodus agents are not treated well in their organization, not especially after you have both operated to subvert their interests here. Even if you were to rejoin them, I'm certain their leader would rather have you on the firing line than on the field again. They are more paranoid than I am in that regards it seems." Professor Ozpin smiled reassuringly at Chris. "Mister Schultz, while you two will not have a handler, you will be reporting back to me daily, or at the very least when you can. This is a priority operation, we need the core. Should it fall it the wrong hands, it may be very well possible they will replicate the missing half, rendering the efforts of agent Davis and Blackwatch void. You leave on the very next train to Alistier, which should be the day after tomorrow if I recall correctly. Speak to Junior to get some more information." Professor Ozpin took a step back away from the board as the board reverted to the map of Vale. He put the core in a safe location and sat back down at his desk for more work. "Dismissed."

Erin and Chris turned and walked out the double doors. The two boarded an elevator down to their 'offices' in the basement.

"On the bright side, if we get this done, maybe we'll get an actual office with a window." Erin smiled at Chris.

"Yeah. Getting tired of looking at iron bars and grey walls all day. I should ask to put up a poster or something..."

"Jail does not offer such luxuries unfortunately. Even if we are free to walk about. Professor Ozpin just happens to know where we are all the time." Erin shrugged and stepped off, going down the dull grey hall. They were kept in the basement complex, much like other agents that 'volunteered' to help Ozpin. Unlike the others though, they were kept in the far back in what amounted to a jail cell with a computer.

"It's this stupid thing." Chris tapped the metal device on Erin's left forearm. "We can only ever take it off down here, and if we leave the basement without it we get horribly shocked. Remember Alexei?"

"Oh...ooooh. Right. I almost forgot about that. Poor man, he couldn't feel for a while. Well, even if it's a tracking device, it's still very useful. It's basically a portable computer and communication device."

"I never said it wasn't. I'm just saying that's how he keeps track of us." The two entered the last cell in the hall. Down the middle there was a distinct white line that Erin had drawn, and a curtain on a runner that went down the middle. "Still wish they would give us separate rooms." He grumbled and flopped onto his bed. He missed his room back at the club. Now that was a real good bed.

"Oh hush, it's not that bad. I'll gather all the information we'll need about Alistier and get us tickets there. I'll also arrange to meet with Junior. I'm sure you can handle getting us our gear right?" Chris grumbled a bit in acknowledgement and rolled over. "Good night to you too." Erin sat at the desk and started working at the computer there. Chris grumbled again and went to sleep. Let Erin handle the paperwork. Even if she was somewhat dull, she was smart on paper.

Life was funny, Chris mused as he drifted off to sleep. He had gone from student, to information gatherer, to mercenary captain, to terrorist captain, to an agent for one of the most powerful men in Vale. And he survived all the way. He wanted to call it all skill, but he knew...there was just too much luck involved. To this day, he does not know how he survived the explosion he caused at the chemical plant. But he couldn't think about it too hard. He had other priorities to deal with. At least he had Erin to drag along for the ride.

Then the thought hit him:

He had to go see Junior soon.

And there went his capability to rest.

XxXxXxXxX

Yang munched on her bacon and eggs, keeping an eye on Ruby so she wouldn't simply abandon the congee...or try and dump sugar into it. She had to make sure she was eating properly after all; her bloody sweet tooth was a curse. She had left ahead of Blake, and to her surprise, was not followed by her. She deduced that Blake probably ran off to do something and she didn't hear her say so. The others were engaged in small talk around the table, and Yang only caught snippets of it as she tried to devour more bacon. She felt something brush against her arm and turned to see Blake sit down next to her. The catgirl placed a bowl of hot oatmeal in front of her and reached over for some raisons. "Mrghh, whu took you?" Yang asked over the bacon. Blake sprinkled some raisons on the oatmeal and stirred it a bit.

"Hm? Oh. Nothing. Just had to go take care of something." Blake stirred some more, before taking a spoonful and tasting it. "Needs more sugar..."

"You sure? You disappeared on me." Yang swallowed her food and started on the scrambled eggs.

"Yes. Nothing happened. I think you just didn't hear me say I was going to do something." Yang shrugged, nodding in agreement.

"Probably. Whatever. No big deal eh?" Welkin carried a tray over and plonked down next to Nora.

"Morning everyone. I take it everyone's ready to check out my hometown?" Welkin grinned and picked up a spoon to stir his cup. Blake could see that his cup was full of peppermint tea instead of black coffee like normal, and deduced that he was trying to cure the hangover still.

"Yeah! You betcha!" Nora grinned widely at the courier. "Is it snowing there? I've always wanted to go snowboarding! It looks SO fun!" Welkin rubbed his ears a bit, adjusting to the pitch of her voice.

"Nora. It's not a vacation..." Ren admonished his partner. "And it's always snowing there. It's far north is it not?"

"Yeah! Also I don't think you guys are going to be working constantly over there. Alistinians know how to have fun after all." Welkin took a sip from his cup before starting on his hot bowl of oatmeal. He took a spoonful and cried out, "Hrgablargah, that's hot."

"What can you tell us about your hometown Welks? Com'on, I bet there's a lot you can say!"

"Well...I can tell you guys more about that on the train ride, how does that sound? Story time on the train, as we're not going there straight away." Welkin blew on the next spoonful.

"What do you mean? I thought we're heading straight for Alisiter." Jaune asked, looking over at the courier.

"Huh? No. I checked the trains earlier and the ticket. I believe Professor Port got the wrong ones. Normally, I would take the express way and be there before night even falls. However, these take you on a longer route. Same destination, but different way...and that way..." Welkin grinned. "Has anyone ever heard of Tobrunsek?" Weiss and Ren looked up quickly from their food.

"The city that's known for its music? And gardens? Of COURSE we've heard about it!" Weiss smirked, crossing her arms. "It's supposed to be beautiful, and in the right season it's full of carnations. It's also got a huge strawberry field. The home to music and introspection!"

"Yes, that is what I know as well. It has one of the largest open air amphitheatres in the world, as well as one of the most wonderful gardens in the world. I believe their music school is held in very high regards." Ren added to Weiss' information. Welkin nodded.

"Right! So we're gonna swing by Tobrunsek to pick up some freight for Alistier, and then we're gonna head to Alistier. That's going to take a few hours at least, so we'll have time to explore the city a bit. It's very rustic. Ah...I remember when I went there for a delivery once. The conditions were so perfect, almost like a story book. The wind blew through the valley and carried the scent of carnations and strawberries through the city. The breeze kicked up all these wind chimes around town and it filled the air with the sound of bells. Mix it with an orchestra playing a waltz?" Welkin smiled in recollection. "Magical. Not sure if it's in season. Can't remember."

"Wow...that sounds...really cool!" Jaune commented. The others agreed quietly, trying to imagine the scene.

"It's not 'cool.' Jaune. It's something better than that. There's a sort of elegance in it, but I doubt you'd understand. I DO want to see the city though. Visiting the amphitheatre is an absolute must." Weiss chimed in, even more excited for the trip now.

"Yeah. It sounds great, even if it's only a few hours." Ruby smiled. She made a pouty face at Welkin and glanced at the chocolate muffin laden plate near him. Welkin smiled and got the hit, tossing her a muffin from behind his back. Ruby grinned cheekily, eager to get her sugar buzz. She took a bite secretly...and by bite, we mean swallowed it whole. Welkin looked away and sipped his peppermint tea, averting any gazes.

"Well. When we're done here, we're going to the train station. I hope everyone's ready for a ride that'll take pretty much the entire day." Welkin commented as he nonchalantly passed another muffin to Ruby. Yang intercepted it this time. She also proceeded to smack the back of Welkin's head (relatively) gently.

"Don't feed her sweets until she's finished her food." Yang gave an annoyed glance to Welkin, who grinned and laughed it off.

"I tried." He gave a thumbs up to Ruby, who had finally finished swallowing the first huge muffin. The group finished up their breakfast before splitting off and grabbing their stuff. It was going to be a while before they came back, so they had to make sure they're really ready.

XxXxXxX

Erin strode into the fully renovated club. It was certainly a lot nicer than before: updated dance floor, improved lights and sound systems, and better drinks. It was certainly keeping true to its reputation of being an excellent place to spend an evening. Erin patted down the white, knee length skirt and smoothed it out. Professor Ozpin wanted the two of them, meaning Chris and her, to come and speak with Junior...however Chris was adamant about not coming in unless absolutely necessary. It was frustrating, to say the least; but at the very least, she was able to get Chris to dress up nicer. She stepped over to the counter and pulled out the piece of paper from Ozpin. On the paper was a simple black lighthouse, stamped on by whoever made the piece.

"What can I get you ma'am?" The bartender stepped over after finishing another drink.

"A silver eagle please...ah...and this." She slid the paper over to the bartender. The bartender examined the paper, probably for fraud, and then nodded. He turned away, putting the paper into his inner vest pocket. She sat down on the stool, looking out at the dance floor. It was a shame she didn't really dance, it looked quite fun on the floor. She waited for a few minutes, ignoring the twins near her. They were conversing about fashion, and the latest trends. The minutes crawled by and the bartender returned, placing her drink on a coaster near her. She took a sip from the non-alcoholic cider mix, savoring the sweet flavor as she waited for him.

"You've got some nerve to come and find me little lady." A gruff voice sounded. She turned her head slightly and grinned at the newcomer: Junior.

"Good evening to you as well Junior."

"You know I'm done with Exodus." Junior crossed his arms, glaring at the young lady.

"I do know that. Alas, as fate would have it, I am no longer part of Exodus." Erin placed the drink back on the counter, turning to face the bigger man. "Ah, but you probably do not believe me, so I won't go into the details."

"Spit it out, what do you want Maxswel?" Junior continued glaring at the ex-Exodus sniper.

"Professor Ozpin gives his regards." Erin took a sip from her drink, seeing the man's eyes widen in surprise. "He wants to hear about a...menu...you compiled for a P. Vulcan?"

"Hm...does he." Junior replied flatly. "I believe I have a copy of that menu...but of course, it's not going to come cheap. It took quite a while to compile the menu." He rubbed the tips of his fingers, indicating she had to pay up first. Erin pulled out a money card and handed it over to Junior. He examined it and then checked the account, somewhat displeased by the value he read. "I do not know how Professor Ozpin expects to attain such a good menu for his kitchen with the given value."

Erin paused for a moment, thinking about where to go from here. The amount, which was already ridiculous, certainly DID cover for the information, but he did not want to hand it over. She processed the information through her head; he wasn't trying to get to -sleep- with her was he?! She blurted out, "Well, what else do you want?"

"From the look on your face, you probably already can guess." Erin pointed at herself dully, causing Junior to facepalm. "I'm not into kids like you. Not fit enough."

"What?! I'm plenty fit!"

"You can't do anything in close quarters though. I've seen the videos of you." Junior smirked. He wasn't expecting her to think of THAT, but at least he was going to get a laugh out of it for a bit.

"I am NOT that unfit!" Erin hmphed, "So what do you want then?"

"What else do you have to offer." Erin thought for a moment, processing the things Junior could want. More alcohol? He's got plenty of that. Cigars? No...doesn't smoke from what it seems. Not much at least. Maybe an older woman? -NO. Erin shook her head and crossed her arms thinking.

Then it clicked.

"I can tell you what happened to Chris." Erin smirked.

"...What? You'd have to be more specific there PAC."

"Christopher Schultz. Your 'son.' I can tell you what happened to him." Erin smiled and took another sip from the glass.

"And why would I believe you?"

"You'd just have to. I can prove my case as well. So, what will it be? Take the credits and the info, in exchange for the menu?" Junior stared at her, almost questioning if the black and red haired girl was being serious. She was an air head sometimes...and those times came and went randomly.

"I'll take the risk. What do you know." Erin pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number really quick. "Hey, don't just say something and then ignore me-"

"Hey. I need your hand. Uncooperative." Erin announced into the phone before closing it. Junior looked at her carefully, and the girl simply smiled back at him. "Wait a minute. Or two." He looked at the entrance to the club...when he saw him. Chris jogged over, looking around carefully and stopped at Erin.

"What? I thought you said things were under control before you came in." Junior just stared in awe. How...the coroner's report...everything pointed to...

"Chris. You're being rude!" Erin gestured to Junior with the glass in her hand, smiling all while. She took a sip as Chris blanched.

"...Hey...old beardo." Chris scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Junior examined him and couldn't believe he was alive...let alone wearing a suit!

"...Kid. Huh...I told you that you would look good in a suit." Junior could only remark. He turned his attention back to Erin, who held out her hand expectantly. He could only nod and hand over the drive containing the information on Project Vulcan. "I thought you a dead kid."

"Same to you Junior." Chris looked around awkwardly. "The twins aren't here right?" He felt a VERY sharp claw scratch against his neck. He froze in place.

"You've got SOME nerve to suddenly reappear after disappearing." Melanie glared at him, the claw edging closer and closer to his jugular. Miltia moved the claw and put a hand on his shoulder, smiling at the panicked ex-mercenary.

"H-hey again." He managed to squeak out. There was a reason he kept them both at an arm's length...at LEAST. "Erin, you dirty b-" Erin held up her finger.

"Ah ah, you didn't want to get the information yourself, so I had to use my trump card." Erin smiled at him as the twins examined the mercenary, mostly to see if he was ACTUALLY alive. She turned back to Junior. "Well. Thank you for this. Anything I need to know about the information?"

"Password is p-a-p-a-b-3-a-r. Everything else you can read."

Erin nodded and pocketed the information carefully, storing it away somewhere hidden. "You guys can catch up with him while I finish my drink. We're heading to Alistier soon, so it might be a while before you can talk in person again." Erin took another sip from the drink, savoring it. She was going to take her time with the drink; they would need the time to play catch up anyways. Junior nodded and brought an arm around Chris' shoulder and sat him on the stool next to him.

"Alright then little lady. Sit down kid, we've got a LOT to talk about." Junior glared at him. Chris swallowed and nodded, taking a seat and ordering some whiskey on the rocks with Junior. The twins immediately began barraging him with questions. Oh boy, exactly why he was fearing showing his face to them again...

XxXxXxXxX

End Notes:

And that's it for this part. I'll probably have the next part up soon. More to write...and even more to rewrite.

_Encyclopedia Entry: Kyresame Magpie Variety Services_

_After the collapse of Star of Polaris Courier Service and Wind of Verdune, both of which were based in Alisiter, the surviving members of both services banded together to survive. Originally, it was led by Courier One-One Lewis McAllenn and bore the name of his original company: Star of Polaris. However, when he agreed to merge the surviving company with Wind of Verdune, the name was changed into what it is now. In fact, it was Cellia Kyresame of Wind of Verdune who proposed to extend their list of services. No longer just a courier service, the company does many other jobs when offered and paid; much like mercenaries for non-violent things. Furthermore, the company shifted and decided to keep the numbering system out of simplicity, rather than have everyone be simply known as a courier x._

_They are called the Magpie Variety Services, or simply magpies, because one of their more infamous jobs included raiding a high profile company on the outskirts of Tobrunsek and making off with several classified documents. While they have many jobs, most of them involve retrieval and delivery of objects. _


End file.
